Outside Of Time - Part II
Part II The crew huddled around Mapp at the small bar, no matter how the cantina changed its shape there was always a bar. The bar area was a beautiful room, It’s default state furnished in dark rich oak varnished brown with brass lamps and railings. Behind the bar was a large ornate mirror that was rumoured to lead to an alternate universe. The crew sometimes spent long sleepless nights speculating why The Cantina never failed to have a bar room. Some speculated that Mapp had a subconscious desire for alcohol that manifested itself in a bar; others insisted that it was a glitch in the programming that Mapp refused to alter. Mapp however simply thought the designer liked bars. On a few occasions he’d laugh and say “Hey! I’d put one in.” Now, Mapp rummaged around behind the bar, searching through his cupboards and their junk for some of his harder stuff. Susie used to always keep a few bottles for him. When she was alive. Always, guiltily that thought snuck in and stabbed him in the heart. She’d died saving the universe. Well not died…more disappeared. Finally, his questing fingers, stretched to their limits, felt smooth, dusty glass. Triumphantly he yanked the old bottle out of its hiding place and dusted off the label. XXX Rum, his favourite. As the crew watched he pulled out a small shot glass and poured just enough to reach the brim. “Mapp what’s with the crew meeting? Where’s CJ?” P-90 rushed in, the last to join the group as Mapp shot back the Dark liquid. “CJ is tending to our awake guests.” P-90 took a seat at the bar, watching as Mapp poured himself another shot of rum. “What did they say Mapp?” Mapp shook his head staring at the Black looking liquid. “That’s the weird thing. They say that they were the last of their civilisation, escaping from their burning planet.” P-90 shifted in his seat seemingly in thought. “They didn’t say anything about the holes?” “Nope.” Mapp tipped the slug of rum down his throat and studied his empty glass. Wolfax moved behind the bar, fixing himself a coke. “Did they say where they want to be dropped off?” Mapp nodded. “Yeah, they want to be dropped off at Necronomica.” The glass Wolfax held slipped from his fingers, smashing on the floor as P-90 had nearly fell of his stool. Both burst out at Mapp. “Are you NUTS? Do you know-” “Cap’n there’s no way-” Mapp held up a hand and they were silenced. “Yeah I know what that planet is. But they wanna go there.” Tey glanced at the three, not knowing what they were going on about. “Excuse me? Can I have a little information please? What’s so bad about necra- neccro-” Mapp looked up at the others, everyone else seemed to be clueless. “Necronomica is a dead planet, devoid of life. Legends have surrounded the gallifreyan complex for ages and the disappearance of its inhabitants for centuries. Every expedition that ever explored there never came back.” P-90 shook his head. “I don’t think we should go.” Wolfax nodded. “Neither do i.” Mapp poured himself another shot and raised his eyebrow at the two of them. “We’re voting now?” He twisted round with his shot and looked at the others. “Well? Anyone else got their say?” P-90 slid off his stool and moved next to Mapp. “Lets vote. Anyone else think doing this is insane? After the last time?” Everyone raised his or her hand and Mapp shrugged. “I am the Captain of this ship.” P-90 turned and looked at Mapp. “You’ve been outvoted.” The Captain didn’t appear to mind and just shrugged, turning back to the bar and shooting back his drink. “Please yourselves.” P-90 walked into the infirmary to find the patients awake and sitting up, they all turned as he entered and P-90 smiled, they didn’t return his polite gesture. Nervously he moved over to CJ and muttered low in her ear. “How are they?” CJ looked up at him and then back down at her chart. “Remarkably well…considering the damage to the ship. I can’t see any other reason to keep them to be honest.” P-90 nodded and took the chart from her, striding over to the three beds. “Well guys, you all seem fine. Unfortunately the uh…. destination you asked us to take you to is simply impossible. We can take you to a planet nearby.” The two guys turned their glares on P-90 and the woman spoke with chilly calm. “Why can you not take us there yourselves?” P-90 raised his eyebrow. “We don’t want to touch down on that planet. It will still take several days to even get close from here.” The men began to growl but the woman held up a hand, when she spoke it seemed the chilliness had thawed from her voice and turned to syrup instead. “We understand. Thank you so very much.” P-90 nodded and looked over at CJ. “Im sure nurse CJ will let you all out very soon.” CJ looked up at p-90 and waved her hand distractedly. “Oh they can go. Yeah.” P-90 nodded to her and turned to his new charges. Cursing his big fat mouth he smiled. “Well, I suppose I’m going to be chaperone.” “And this is the bar.” It had been a long hour. A long…creepy hour. P-90 had shown his new charges their rooms, explained their personal touches and contents from the ship had been brought to these places. The visitors seemed unimpressed by the small spaces they were given. P-90 had spent an interesting minute entertaining the idea that these people were used to wide open spaces to call their own. What exactly was their rank on this supposed world? They never talked much, and even then it was mainly the woman. Were the other two her bodyguards? He’d shown them around the cockpit and engine room before resorting to the bar. “This is one of the more commonly used areas of course. A sort of… communal area.” Several people glanced up and then away as P-90 entered with the three people to the last site on their tour. “Just take a seat. I need to talk to the captain.” The three walked towards an empty table and hesitantly took their seats. They said not a word but continued to look at each other. P-90 approached Mapp, sitting at the bar. “Well they’re up and about.” Mapp turned and raised an eyebrow at P-90 before twisting further to view these strangers. Almost as though they knew he was watching all three turned to look at him. Mapp turned back to P-90. “No kidding. What a bunch of weirdoes.” He grabbed a glass of what looked suspiciously like more rum and tipped it back. “Were not gonna tear apart their ship just yet.” P-90 rested his arm on the bar and slid onto the closest stool to Mapp. “Why not?” Mapp grabbed the dark brown bottle and filled his glass to the brim before smirking at P-90. “The…art…. is proving difficult to remove.” A smile tugged around P-90’s lips as Mapp drained the liquid in the glass. “Anything we can use?” the glass clinked on the varnished surface and Mapp nodded. “Tons of stuff. Ive been after a new compressor for the engines for years and this ship has that and a spare.” “Spare?” P-90 frowned at Mapp; he only remembered the one engine on the ship. It really only needed one engine for short hops. “Yeah, that thing is strewn with parts and spares.” P-90 considered this before dropping his voice and moving closer to Mapp. “Anything about how that thing ended up in Delta?” Mapp shook his head. “Not a thing. Besides the melting and the spare parts this thing is a classic N90.” P-90 sat back puzzled but also wary. He knew where the captain’s curiosity usually led them. “Use some restraint Mapp and don’t ask them how they got that far.” Mapp’s hand curled around the neck of the bottle, pulling it towards him before turning to P-90 with his 1000-watt smile. “Hey! What do you take me for?” P-90 slid off his stool and walked away from Mapp muttering under his breath. “A tactless asshole Mapp.”